Superhero Adventures, UK Style

Jeeves’ call alerted Sam that he was required back at the BASEment as soon as possible. Sam had replied that he was otherwise preoccupied and stuck in Germany for the time being due to his working circumstances. Jeeves’ shock at this jovial announcement, was quickly replaced by typical Jeeves determination as he plainly refused to accept any excuses and immediately sent Adam on a direct international flight to come and claim him again quickly.

It was in that moment that he felt as if he’d been struck with a proverbial mental 2 by 4″; it had to be something quite serious for Jeeves’ and Adam to arrange last-minute European flight permissions even if it was Christmas eve…

Everyone had been safe and well when they’d made the call and arranged the flight, and they didn’t sound like there was any imminent danger or they could count on Mary, Akira and Mace to deal. He couldn’t quite figure it all out, and they absolutely refused to elaborate over the team comms.

He was well looked after by his extremely jovial Germanic comrades, sipping Gluhwein until Adam traced his location. Sam said his fond “auf wiedersehen’s'”, especially to their new contact Rätsel who promised to keep in touch, and flew up and into the craft in the snowy, midnight Christmas air.

Adam had attempted to decorate the interior of the Raft, lining some of the panels with cheap tinsel and replacing the air freshener with one that was mistletoe-themed and smelt of cinnamon. Sam crawled up to sit next to Adam as he piloted the Raft home as quickly as permitted whilst flying overland. Adam refused to say anything, but tilted his flight chair towards him reclined slightly, nudged him, folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. Adam was revealing nothing, it seemed, content to tease him with smiles and humming “we wish you a merry Christmas”.

Sam lifted a finger as if to speak, while Adam simply side-eyed him and shook his head, chuckling mid-tune. Sam relaxed a little, he suspected it probably had something to do with Christmas but he couldn’t be certain. Maybe it was a delivery that’s finally arrived or something and they needed him to sign for it? He shrugged, and put in some cheesy Christmas music and turned it up annoyingly loud as they soared through the sky. Sam wondered if these days’ children were told that Santa made his deliveries using a modified Raft, perhaps.

The Raft arrived into the BASEment with little fuss while playing Wham’s “Last Christmas”. Sam was practically shooed and ejected from his seat by Adam. He was quickly dragged by his brother along the corridor to see the others collectively gathered, but they offered nothing except pointing in the direction of their chambers with goofy, knowing smiles.

Some of The Balance gave chase, as Sam was directed to his room, the sliding BASEment doors revealing a darkened, but candlelit interior, with someone inside. It only took a moment for Sam’s Darkvision to adjust. He stepped inside and shut the doors.

Outside he could hear laughter and Akira wondering what present Jeeves had got him…

It was her. All of his senses and forethought said she WAS in the room, no tricks, no computer magic, she was here… In the flesh? How? She stood, smiling, a single tear rolling down her check as she stood there wrapped in a ‘dress’ made from Christmas wrapping and a large, red bow. That and she was wearing 2” heels.

Given that the only heels she’d worn for more years than he knew about, had been holographic, he momentarily wondered how she was able to balance on them; some form of internal gyroscopes?

He didn’t say anything, he just strode towards her slowly, face turned away, and with arms outstretched offered her a warm, caring embrace with little dragon tears running freely from his golden eyes, down his scaled cheeks as he did so. He made sure he did not tear her garment nor cheapen the moment with a low lewdness, probably contrary to what Annie was either expecting or anticipating.

He simply held her in his meta-enhanced, draconic arms, and hugged her tightly to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, hallucinating or that this was some cruel practical joke. She was cunning and hyper-intelligent, he did wonder if Annie would be capable of sending a “gift” instead of her true self.

Arms still outstretched, he leaned back and sniffled once. “What was the last film that we watched together?” he had to make sure, he’d been so unsure of everything she did since she had disappeared. The odd “hello”, the mysterious computer glitches threw him off-course before. Sam felt within a quiet optimism that it was truly her, while not a certified genius like Annie; he was perceptive when he wanted to be.

Annie smiled and spun on the spot showing off her packaging skills. “I turn up like this, and you want to discuss films… It was some really confusing film with Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugo Weaving in it, I remember Hugo Weaving dressed up as a freakishly weird female nurse at one point. What was it called? We watched it together the night, we, I left. Cloud Atlas?”

Sam took her back into her arms. He squeezed and whispered,”I didn’t know you were coming back.” He just held, and wept quietly in his relief and that she was safe. He hadn’t expected on seeing her back at all.

Sam let her go and said, “Don’t say anything. Hold on.” as he disappeared around a corner to reveal a very large XXL fluffy dressing gown that he occasionally wore to breakfast, and placed it gently on her shoulders, covering her modesty.

She raised her eyebrow at this strange and to her mind, unexpected turn of events.

“I think the others have gone by now, follow me, I have something to show you.” He offered his hand as his other stood poised next to his bedroom doorway, looking expectantly, with a smile. He  recomposed himself.

Sam whisked her quickly away from his room and the others, gliding down the corridor as quickly and quietly as he could muster, with a smirk and a stifled giggle as he did so. Sam led her over to the BASEment’s training room, and the activated the console quickly. “I pulled some strings to make this for you.” – loading up the correct programme.

Once loaded, he invited her to stand in the centre of the room, smiling.

The holographic programme was simple, but elegant and one of Sam’s own designs. The programme peeled and revealed itself as a vast, infinite meadow upon rolling gentle hills from their view to the very horizon and beyond. The sky was a perfect blue with very few wispy decorative distant cirrus clouds. There was an occasional, warm summer’s breeze and the sun was kept at a permanent mid-day splendour. The vivid, swaying, silky green grass was a beautiful if an uncanny ankle-length uniform across the cultured landscape.

Sam turned, smiled and breathed a deep sigh of relief and again offered his hand for hers.

In the lounge, Jeeves and Adam were sharing a drink when the training room light activated. With a smile, Jeeves locked down the room from outside and quenched the signal light then took another sip of his port.

Inside the room, Sam and Annie danced. As the first tune ended, Annie laughed and kissed Sam hard on the lips, “You know if you don’t unwrap your present, I’m likely to go and see if Akira could be persuaded instead,” she said teasingly, “I’m not a child or a fragile flower to be protected and this body cannot be hurt. I want us to take this relationship to another level, if you will have me. So stop pussy footing around…” her hand reached out and gently but firmly grabbed his and placed it on the bow, “I need a professional opinion on the quality and anatomical correctness of this ‘chassis’ and I want to test the magnitude of the pain and pleasure sensors. Your draconic skin can’t bruise this body and…” She suddenly stopped and clapped with glee as Sam gradually changed into a very tall, muscular human. “That I didn’t expect, shall we test drive both?”

FADE TO BLACK

Next morning Annie and Sam met the others in the lounge. Annie was still dressed in the same jeans and blouse she’d turned up the night before. It occurred to Jeeves that she wasn’t used to shopping for clothes, not having to wear any whilst in her ‘tin can’ personae and then she’d made do with holographs. Now she needed to find clothes designed for a slim 6’6” frame. Jeeves decided to allocate some of the team funds to ensuring she had a suitable wardrobe by the New Year.

Annie quickly explained that she’d left so suddenly because the opportunity, one she acknowledged as not totally legal, had presented itself to gain an android body. Part of the price was that she couldn’t tell anyone anything more than that, it had to remain a secret as did the price she paid to gain it. She acknowledged that meant keeping secrets from the team, from Sam even, so if they preferred her to not be here anymore, she’d respect that.

The room was quiet for a few seconds then Mary spoke, “I am a trusting soul and I know that everyone has secrets and flaws, I will have no problem accepting you back on board. Any objections? Then that settles it, welcome home, Annie.”

Mikey clapped her hands in glee, reached for a glass of champagne on the coffee table and with her finger dipped in the liquid reached over and splashed a drop on her forehead and laughing said, “God bless Annie,” and with a smirk at Sam continued, “and all who sail in her…”

Both Annie and Mikey started giggling as breakfast was served by Jeeves. To everyone’s amazement, Annie fully participated in the feast, admitting she was now capable of all bodily functions, which caused Adam to elbow Sam in the ribs with a long, drawn out wink.

It was the start of a wonderful Christmas day.